Hassler happy to be off the mark

By Ospreys Rugby | 26/08/2013

Summer signing Jeff Hassler opened his Ospreys account at the weekend, grabbing the second try in the region’s pre-season win over Worcester at the Liberty Stadium on Saturday.

The Canadian wing, who celebrated his 21st birthday last Wednesday, struck early in the second half to give the Ospreys the lead for the first time after conceding two early scores.

Reflecting on his first outing in the black shirt, Hassler said after the game:

“It was a bit surreal for me, you know?

“Just to get to pull on the jersey for the first time, and to get out there and dot it down felt pretty good.

“I had a little bit of a rocky start if I’m honest, getting used to the systems, but I felt I adapted as the rest of the game went on and things started to come a little bit easier.

“I needed to be a little better at organisation, to pull guys out to help cover my side of the field. The speed of it was faster than I’ve been used to as well but that’s something I have to come to terms with.

“That’s what these games are for. I haven’t been here for long and I missed a bit of training over the last few weeks with illness but I’m happy I had a good crack at it. The learning curve is still going upwards so hopefully each week it’ll get a little better.

“I just want to contribute as much as possible, whether that’s getting time with the first team or just helping the boys out in practice who are involved, I want to continue learning and do all I can to help the team.”